The air crackled with a tangible tension as the hulking light creatures shifted, their amorphous forms swirling with otherworldly energy. One, shimmering with a vibrant Violet glow, reared back, its spiritlike limbs shaping into gigantic fists. Its opponent, cloaked in an unsettling emerald glow, countered with a meandering wave, sending ripples of emerald light cascading through the crowd.
A collective gasp swept through the gathering as the fight erupted in earnest, anticipation soaking me. I had quite expected it to be a battle of knowledge. However, it was anything but that.
Violet lightning arced, while emerald tentacles lashed out, tearing through the air itself. The ground thrummed with the echoes of their clash, dust raining down from the unseen ceiling of this bizarre arena.
"These systems are too powerful, they might destroy the world!" An elderly man, with a heart hole and broken arm exclaimed with fear.
"Oh, keep it down, old man." A woman walking with one leg, hushed with annoyance.
Amidst the chaos, I fought to keep my footing as the crowd began to cheer, my gaze glued to the spectacle above. Each blow, each parry, held the weight of a thousand lives. With every crackle of violet, every ripple of emerald, the fabric of Wonderland seemed to tremble, threatening to unravel entirely.
My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic counterpoint to the thunderous roars of the light creatures. My mind, however, raced with a chilling realization. The girl with the missing eyes was right. This wasn't just a spectator sport. This was a macabre ballet, a twisted performance where the winner claimed an audience member as its prize.
And as the battle raged on, the rules of the performance started to reveal themselves. Violet, fueled by controlled fury, rained down blows with brutal efficiency. Emerald, however, danced with a deceptive grace, its every movement infused with a chilling cunning. It wasn't a battle of brute force, but of strategy, of outwitting one's opponent in this impossible dance of destruction.
My breath hitched as the emerald creature feigned a retreat, luring its violet counterpart into a treacherous ravine of darkness that had materialized at the edge of the battlefield. With a sickening snap, violet limbs were caught in the black depth, its vibrant glow dimming in protest.
A wave of despair washed over the crowd. Hope, so vibrant moments ago, now lay crumpled and fading. But then, a flicker of violet defiance pulsed within the darkness. The trapped limbs crackled with renewed energy, pushing back against the encroaching shadows.
The emerald creature roared, its form rippling with frustration. This wasn't the ending it had scripted. Its eyes, two swirling vortexes of green, darted toward the crowd, landing on me for a fleeting moment. A tremor of fear ran down my spine. Was I to be chosen if it won?
The thought was terrifying, yet oddly thrilling. Could this be my path back? My escape from this twisted world?
With renewed determination, I fixed my gaze on the struggling violet creature, willing it to fight, to survive. My fate, it seemed, was inextricably linked to this cosmic puppet show, and I refused to be a passive observer.
The battle raged on, the fate of Wonderland, and of me, hanging in the balance. The line between spectator and participant was blurring, and as the final act of this deadly drama unfolded, I knew I was about to become more than just a curious visitor in this realm of the infected.
In the shimmering heart of Wonderland, the violet spiritlike pulsed with renewed might. Its shaped limbs, freed from the black depth, crackled with an invigorating defiance. The emerald opponent, caught off guard by this sudden resurgence, stumbled back, its spiritlike form rippling with confusion.
A collective gasp of exhilaration ripped through the crowd. Hope, once a flickering ember, roared back to life, painting faces with desperate joy.
"Could the tide be turning?" A woman cried with exaggerated relief and happiness.
"Yes, now finish off the evil, Violet god!" Another screamed amidst the multitude.
My gaze shifted across the crowd, this wasn't a battle. Not when they all wished Violet to win so badly.
The battle resumed, a tempestuous tango of clashing energies. Violet, fueled by the collective will of the infected, unleashed a flurry of lightning strikes, each blow chipping away at the emerald creature's shimmering confidence. Emerald, however, was not easily cowed. With a guttural roar, it summoned forth a storm of emerald tentacles, lashing out with renewed fervour.
The ground trembled, dust showering down like delicate snow. The very air crackled with the raw power of their duel, threatening to tear Wonderland itself asunder. My pulse mirrored the frantic rhythm of the battlefield, each surge of hope punctuated by the gnawing fear of a violet defeat.
Suddenly, Emerald, with a burst of deceptive agility, coiled around Violet's torso, its tendrils constricting like a living vice. Violet roared in defiance, unleashing a blinding pulse of energy that sent shockwaves rippling through the crowd. Yet, emerald held firm, its emerald glow pulsing with a pang of predatory hunger.
A wave of despair washed over the gathering. Had this been their only hope, a fleeting dream extinguished before it could fully bloom? I felt a scream claw its way up my throat, a primal cry of frustration and fear. But then, just as Emerald seemed poised to deliver the final blow, a tremor shook the battlefield.
From the very fabric of Wonderland, a new light erupted. A dazzling sapphire brilliance, unlike anything witnessed before, pulsed into existence, momentarily eclipsing both violet and emerald. The crowd fell silent, awestruck by this unexpected arrival.
"Was this another contender?" Someone from the crowd murmured.
"A wildcard in this celestial game of life and death?" Another cried.
The sapphire light coalesced, taking the form of a majestic winged creature, its wings shimmering with a hundred constellations. Its eyes, twin pools of starlight, surveyed the battlefield with an ancient wisdom. Then, with a cry that resonated through every fibre of my being, the sapphire creature spread its wings, unleashing a wave of pure energy that washed over the combatants.
Violet and emerald shuddered under the sapphire's touch, their struggles ceasing as if frozen in time. The tendrils loosened, the lightning strikes ceased, and an unnatural stillness descended upon the arena. All eyes, including mine, were glued to the sapphire creature, waiting, hoping, for a sign of its intent.
The sapphire creature hovered, a cosmic beacon against the swirling backdrop of Wonderland. Silence, thick and heavy, pressed down on the crowd, each ragged breath an accusation against the eerie stillness. But then, the creature moved. Its vast wings, woven from constellations, dipped gently, and a melody erupted from its celestial throat.
The sound wasn't words, not exactly. It was a language of pure emotion, a torrent of hope, fear, and defiance that resonated within the very core of my being. For a fleeting moment, the boundaries between us dissolved, and I felt a connection, a shared understanding with every lost soul in this bizarre realm.
As the last note faded, the sapphire creature's gaze swept across the arena, lingering on those with the brightest sparks of life in their eyes. My stomach clenched, a flicker of terror battling with a burgeoning hope. Was I amongst the chosen?
Then, the creature descended. Its descent was slow, and purposeful, its shadow engulfing a nearby figure - the young boy Roman. My heart lurched. They were leaving? But where were they going? What about me?!
A tear trickled down Roman's cheek, but his grip on his father's hand remained firm. Their whispers, barely audible amidst the collective silence, of acceptance, of a journey beyond the veil. As the sapphire creature's light enveloped the young boy, his form shimmered, then disintegrated into specks of starlight that pulsed with the rhythm of the creature's melody.
And in that moment, the world dissolved before my eyes, and I felt my energy, my body fading as parts of sapphire winged celestial fades off view.
And suddenly, everywhere turned black.
—
I woke up with a gasp, sitting upright in my hospital bed. The sterile white of the room was a stark contrast to the celestial glow of Wonderland. Machines beeped serenely, a welcome cacophony compared to the chilling silence of the realm of the infected.
Panic surged through me. Was it all a dream? A vivid, horrifying, yet strangely beautiful dream?
My eyes darted around the room, searching for answers. But then, I saw it. Lying on the bedside table, nestled amongst a bouquet of sunflowers, was a single sapphire feather, shimmering with otherworldly colours.
At this moment, confusion drenched me.